


A Young Mermaid

by nonnahsshannon



Series: Knights Upon a Time [5]
Category: Merlin (TV), Once Upon a Time (TV), The Little Mermaid - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Attraction, First Kiss, First Meetings, Friendship, Mermaids, Princes & Princesses, Teenage Rebellion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-19
Updated: 2014-05-19
Packaged: 2018-01-25 18:12:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,006
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1657775
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nonnahsshannon/pseuds/nonnahsshannon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Younger Ariel's desire to see the surface world leads her to meeting two human princes. Her friendship through them and her growing magic leads her to meet a future friend.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Young Mermaid

**Author's Note:**

> This is the fifth in the series that I have started writing awhile ago. I hope you enjoy the story and the characters that I have been enjoying writing about.

“ARIEL!” Her father’s voice echoed through the corridors of the castle, but she just giggled as she continued on her way. She ran into her room and began to mess around with objects as she waited. Finally her father entered the room looking every bit the part of an angry father. “Ariel” this time he was much softer about his approach.

“Yes daddy.” She played up the sweet card as she often did when she did something wrong.

“Don’t daddy me Ariel. What have I told you about going up to the surface world? It’s dangerous, imagine what they would do to you if they found out about mermaids.” His speech bored her, but she listened through.

“Daddy there are many magical creatures in this world and most of the surface world knows about mermaids.”

“They do not know the difference between Sirens and mermaids. They could mistake you as one and hurt you. Nor do they know what we are capable of and vice versa.” He was full of concern for his youngest daughter. She was the one who was most curious and adventurous. She could sing, defend herself, and much more because she was always getting into everything. Everything he ever built was to protect her and he needed it to stay that way.

“Promise me, you will not be going back to the surface.” He looked at her and saw only the young girl she used to be.

He always asked way too much of her, but she would allow him to think he won, “Yes daddy, I promise.” Was the only answer given to him before she turned away from him. He thought she was just pouting, but what she was in all actuality doing was plotting a way to sneak out. She wanted to see the humans, the ones without the ability to turn into mermaids. They were who she was most curious about and she wished there was someone to answer her questions.

That night it seemed to her father that she had finally given up all hope of her ridiculous dreams. The next morning saw her in the throne room with her father and her ability to convince him that she was going to be visiting her people with Sebastian.

“Promise me you will be careful.” He talked to his daughter gently thinking about all the ways she could get hurt.

“Yes daddy, I will.” What she wasn’t telling him was that she was really going to sneak away to the surface world and maybe talk to her first real human. She took off towards one of the water exits and as she dove out the magic began. Her dress and legs turned into a luminescent green-blue tail and a purple shell lace-like bikini top. She began to swim towards the town knowing her father was watching and when she knew she was out of his sight, she began to swim up to the surface.

Breaking the surface so close to civilization was a new experience because it was something she had never dared to do. She always wanted to, but was too afraid. As a child, she had lost her mother to a ship accident and her father banned even getting close to the surface. After the accident, she was brought up with her father telling every terrible thing about the surface world. Yet she knew that the surface world had more to offer, or maybe that was just her curious side talking. She swam towards shore and hid behind a large rock when a loud noise erupted.

She heard laughter erupt from a male voice, “Come on Killian do not lag behind.”

“Yes Brother, Your Royal Princeness.” Came another male voice. They finally came into view and there were two boys who looked incredibly alike. She settled into watching them, her first real humans. They were playing some sort of game with a ball and a bark interrupted her thoughts.

“That must be a dog.” She whispered to herself so excited that she was finally seeing the things she had only read about in books. Yet she wasn’t quiet enough for the dog not to hear her and it came barreling towards the water.

“Max what is it boy?” The first boy curiously followed the boy while the second searched the area. “Killian do you see anything?”

“Nothing I ca—Eric did you see that?” She moved because the dog was getting closer and Killian must have gotten a glimpse of her hair. “You can come out you know, we won’t hurt you.” He spoke gently to whatever creature was lurking behind the rocks.

Her curiosity was burning a fire inside her and she peered around the edge of the rock slowly. The second boy, Killian smiled as he saw these sea blue eyes staring back at him. Her hair was a rich red.

“Hi, what’s your name?” His brother, always the first to ask a question.

“I’m Ariel.” The voice was soft, but so captivating. Eric turned and watched his brother’s expression because it had never happened before. He looked completely blown away with just one look at this woman and the sound of her voice.

“I’m Eric and this is my Brother Killian. We’re princes in this kingdom.” He introduced themselves to this mysterious woman.

“Won’t you come out of the water?” Killian was soft spoken and enchanted at this woman. She came more out into the open and lifted her luminescent tail for them to see. “You’re a mermaid!” Both brothers were shocked at the realization, but not frightened. To both sides there was some sort of feeling of safety.

“You won’t hurt me?” Her eyes were locked with Killian’s as she swam closer to the shore. She willed her legs to appear and walked out towards the two men. When she had transformed she was back in her royal garb making obvious to them that she was a royal or at least a noble.

“Never.” Eric nodded along to his brother’s answer and watched as she walked on two legs over to meet them.

“You have legs.” Eric’s obvious statement earned a giggle from her.

“Common misconception about Mermaids, we are able to turn human at will.” She stated now standing right in front of the two and giggling at Max’s antics. She ran her fingers along his ears learning the soft texture of his fur.

“You’re a princess?” Killian asked after getting over the shock of her standing in front of him looking every bit a princess.

“Yes” she was kind in the way she talked to him.

“Mermaids have princesses?”

“Yes.” She knew he was just a bit awestruck at meeting a mermaid for the first time. The people of seaside kingdoms know they exist, but it is rare to meet one. The two brothers were very alike in their obvious questioning. She was very drawn to the younger one and she was not quite sure if she was okay with that. She had always been independent and her curiosity about the world above had led her here. Now she was living her dream and she was not sure what his role in it would be.

“I’ve never been out of the water before.” She shyly admitted and the wonder on her face was very apparent. Killian just wanted to show her everything there was about the surface world. You could tell that she was a curious creature by the way she took all of the scenery in rapture.

“Would you like us to show you more?” Eric asked and the smile she gave both boys was blinding and just like that they were hooked. They walked with her into the village marketplace where there were many thingamabobs to touch and look at.

“Oh a dinglehopper!” She picked up a shiny lavish fork.

“That my dear mermaid is a fork.” Killian said plucking it from her hands as his brother paid for the object.

“A fork? And this?” She pointed to a beautiful comb at the vendor next to them.

“This is a comb.” He handed the comb to her and she touched it reverently. He paid the vendor the money for the comb before leading the way away from the shops. “Are you hungry?” She smelled the food and her stomach growled. She was a little nervous because she was not sure what she would like to eat. He led her to an eatery and she tried her first taste of surface world food. They spent the rest of her time on land teaching her about the places, objects, and whatever else she was interested in. This then became a daily occurrence.

________________________________________

She had learned much about the land-dwellers in these past couple of months and the boys had even began to teach her how to fight. It was quite funny when she bested them in sword fighting. Her father had taught her from a very early age how to defend herself. At the moment she was stuck in Atlantica sitting in on a boring meeting because of her father. She would rather be with Killian…and Eric.

“Ariel!” Her father’s voice brought her out of her stupor. She turned to look at him and shrank back a little at the look on his face. “What are you thinking about Ariel?”

“Nothing much daddy. I just was hoping for a swim today.” She answered leaving off the part where she would swim to the surface.

“Well the meeting is over,” she looked around now noticing that everyone is gone, “I will allow it. I am so glad you gave up those ridiculous dreams.” He said walking away and giving her freedom. She was filled with fury as she swam to the surface and joined right in on the boys’ battle. She bested them both before sitting down in the sand with much anger in her expression.

“Ariel are you okay?” Killian asked gently taking the spot next to her.

“No! Father is so glad I gave up my ridiculous dreams…my dreams ridiculous?” Her anger was boiling over so much so that the waves responded in anger. The waves were growing angry and the sky cloudy.

“Ariel!” Both boys shouted due to the winds picking up. She could not hear them and the storm approached angrily as she did. They could not get through to her, so Killian mustered up his courage and kissed her. The storm began to fade away with the kiss and when they broke away it was gone. She filled with this new feeling and she welcomed it as she smiled at him. They stared at each other in awe for some time.

“Not that this has not been a hundred years in the making, we are late to meet an important friend.” Eric reminded them as they broke away from each other’s eyes. The kiss was forgotten for a time. She looked at them inquisitively and Killian led her in the path following his brother. They came into town and into the first place that they had ever eaten in together.

At the only non-crowded table sat a man and according to the way that the boys reacted; this was the man they were looking for. He had black hair and intense blue eyes, but he smiled when they came into view.

“You must be the one I have been looking for.” He stated when they approached the table. He was looking right at her, but she was unsure of what he meant. “That was an impressive storm you caused there. Ever have any burst like that?”

“All the time.” Eric was the one who answered, who had long noticed his friends oddities. She was a mermaid, but at the same time she was much more than that. She just had not discovered it yet.

“Who are you?” She was curious on the easy feeling she got around him. A feeling of trust that would define their friendship for years to come.

“I’m Merlin.”


End file.
